Grace & Amelia's Birth Stories

My mum often reminds me now when I was young my parents asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and I apparently said "a mummy!" I've always known its what I'm here to do.

I met Chris when I was 18, he was a manager at the restaurant I started working in. We started dating a year later and when we moved in together Cam (Chris' 3yr old from a previous relationship) would come and stay with us on Chris' days off from work. We got on so well and I loved spending time with him, playing games and being silly.

The night before my birthday I was with all my friends and family having drinks in the bar we worked in. I went home, went to bed then suddenly I didn't feel so well. I started being sick and put it down to having one too many drinks, so I left Chris in bed and went to sleep on the sofa. I suddenly started being sick every few minutes so I knew something was wrong. I woke Chris up and said I really wasn't well. He insisted we went to hospital, we got in a taxi and went to A&E thinking it must be food poisoning or something similar. I was never in any pain just constant vomiting. I was seen by a nurse and she asked all the usual questions - what had I eaten? Allergies? Etc. Then she asked could I be pregnant? I immediately said no, I was on the pill, I'd had periods and had never had any symptoms! She took blood and asked if I would mind if she took a pregnancy test just to rule it out, I said of course no problem.

She returned shortly and said "Ok Stacey, you're pregnant and we think you're actually in labour"

Then doctors and midwives started piling into our room poking and prodding at me. I just remember I kept saying I can't be, I can't be! Chris was crying and I was literally terrified. The doctors said the baby's heart rate was very low and the needed to get her out now. They brought me all sorts of forms to sign and asked me so many questions, my head was spinning! They asked if I wanted an epidural and I was crying saying I don't even know what that is!! I laugh about it now but at the time I was the youngest person in my family no-one had any babies so I had no clue what was going to happen.

Chris was so good, he was so calm and supportive.

3 hours later they delivered our baby girl by emergency c-section weighing 5lb 7.5oz it was the most incredible feeling in the world when they handed her to me. It was instant love we both cried hysterically, I'd never felt so happy! We decided to call her Grace. She was born on my 21st birthday she was born at 06.36 and I had been born at 06.30, pretty special I think, the best birthday present ever!

I had pre-eclampsia and had to stay on a high risk unit for 4 days but that was fine because Chris needed time to go and buy everything we needed - we didn't have a single thing! Our friends and family were amazing they all helped so much and bought us so much stuff it was truly overwhelming.

Fast forward 5 years later we found out we were pregnant again, sadly I miscarried at 14 weeks.

Another 2 years and I was pregnant again. We were delighted but scared something bad was going to happen again. I was adamant I wanted a water birth with no stress and everything was going to be perfect! I absolutely loved being pregnant, I always felt like I was robbed of having a pregnancy with Grace. I missed out on all the scans,  shopping and excitement. I was huge fairly early on with this pregnancy I had extra growth scans as the baby was measuring a bit bigger than normal. We found out we were having another girl, I was so excited, I secretly always wanted 2 girls.

My due date came and went, I went to the hospital a week later and the doctor came in to see us and said because she was going to be a big baby and as I'd had a c-section before I would possibly end up having another emergency c-section if she got stuck meaning my perfect planned water birth was out of the picture now. I was absolutely gutted! She said I could wait another week and get induced if she wasn't here by then or I could get a planned c-section that next day. Panic set in I wasn't prepared for her to say I could have my baby the next day. I asked Chris what he thought and he said it was totally up to me so I decided I didn't want to wait any longer, if I was probably going to end up having a section anyway I'd rather get it done and have my baby the next day. So we had to go in the next morning and wait for my turn. I was terrified as the memories of Grace's birth came flooding back. They came for me at 10am and took me to get my epidural, I was so cold and scared I was shaking so badly it took the doctor 3 tries to get the epidural in. Chris was again by my side in his scrubs being my rock. Baby Amelia was born at 12.12 weighing 9lb 7oz, 4lb heavier than her sister!

I had to have 3 blood transfusions and was kept in hospital for a week.

Neither of my experiences were what I'd ever imagined but I wouldn't change them for anything. We'd have a house full of kids if we could afford them but we're more than happy with our 2 girly girls and my extra bonus step son. The 3 most loving, beautiful kids anyone could ask for.

Henry's Birth Story...

So the first 8 months of my pregnancy was very normal until I hit 37weeks. I met with my consultant on Monday the 3rd September as I had horrendous pain in my ribs, he confirmed that I had fluid on my ribs and that I would have to be induced ASAP. This was a big shock as I'd been through my pregnancy thinking and planning that I would have a nice easy birth with preference of a water birth. Obviously when you get induced this is clearly not an option anymore which was upsetting and very daunting! 

I was booked in for the induction on Friday the 7th September at 9am.......God that week dragged! Friday came and before I knew it I was lying in my hospital room waiting to see the doctor, they explained what the process was and that I would have a pessary inserted to soften the cervix before they could start with the pitocin (the drug to kick start labour). At 3pm that day the pessary was inserted and I had to now wait 24 hours before they could take it out!

The Saturday came and I was in horrendous pain during the night and into early morning, I promised myself I wouldn't have pain relief but little did I know what I was in for. At 10am I had a drug called pethidine which eased the pain and I was able to get some sleep (more like dead to world). Before I knew it It was 3pm and the pessary could now be removed. Eventually at 7pm it was removed as the ward were really short staffed and no one was available to do it. They also broke my waters at the same time......which can I tell you was just weird! 

After speaking to my mum and telling her there was no point in her coming down to the hospital as nothing was really moving at a fast pace......my contractions started! Every 3 mins I was in so much pain - I didn't even think it was possible to feel pain like that and still actually be alive ha. I was offered gas and air which really helped. It was now 10pm and the pitocin drip had started. At this point I was begging for an epidural and I was 5cm dilated. I eventually got my epidural and was instructed to use the button provided to control the strength of it. I was in that much pain I kept forgetting to press it and was really struggling especially having no sleep for over 24 hrs!

At around 3am Sunday 9th September I was now fully dilated and ready to push. I pushed for over an hour with no success......my son was stuck. The doctors realised that my son was struggling to breath and his heart rate was dropping so they rushed me to the nearest theatre. I was then told that they would be assisting my delivery with forceps around the babies head and an episiotomy (ouch). Within 3 pushes he was out, a little bruised in his face but I was just glad to have him here safely! 

Henry George Holliday was born 9th September 2012 at 6.51am. We were so happy and it truly is the best feeling in the world! Very amazing!


Lois
x

Welcome to The Midwife Diaries!!

After a long hard slog over the last year with full time work, evening college lessons, University entrance exams, interviews and a very worn out refresh button on my UCAS Account – I am FINALLY about to start University! In 6 weeks!

I’m such a mixture of emotions at the moment, excited, petrified and in complete disbelief that I actually managed to get myself here. 

So now this blog will be my baby, excuse the pun! I’m going to try and keep it updated regularly with lots of info in the different pages so take a look!

Here I’ll be telling all (within the realms of the NMC code of conduct of course..*) about what its really like being a student midwife at University in one of the most amazing and diverse cities in the world, the ups, the downs, but mainly I predict that I’ll just be moaning about how tired I am. Definitely worth a read – ha!

 

I’m really looking forward to building this page, a collection of birth stories from Mother’s I know and Mother’s that I’ll meet along the way. If you would like send me your birth story or have a chat with me and I can write it for you - just get in touch on the ‘ask me’ page!

 

This does what it says on the tin. Click the button and ask me anything…about uni, about your pregnancy, your birth, anything! I promise I’ll answer every question and research as much as possible. I’ll consult my lecturers when I don’t know the answer and get you an response asap :)

 

If you want to know anything non-midwife related about me (you nosey parker) this is my blog-in-progress about all things beloved by moi!

It’s been a rollercoaster of a year (jeez I can’t believe it’s only been a year…less even!) but it will all (very soon!) be worth it….

You know The Little Mermaid? Incidentally my favourite Disney animation except for the Lion King but that goes without saying for everyone surely?.. Anyway I digress… So my favourite part of that film, when she sings the reprise and gets all sexy on the rock, THAT’S how I feel. I’ve been singing it in my head for weeks now. I just know something amazing is starting in my life and I’m SO looking forward to the next chapter…. *waves crash* 

 
*Any views expressed on this blog are purely my own and of course I will never share information or birth stories about my clients without permission. All Birth Stories are written by or with the consent of the Mothers in the story.